Black Georgetown Remembered: A History of Its Black Community From the Founding of "The Town of George" in 1751 to the Present Day

This book chronicles the rich but little-known history of the Georgetown black community from the colonial period to the present. Black Georgetown Remembered records the hopes and dreams, the disappointments and successes, of a vibrant neighborhood as it persevered through slavery and segregation, war and peace, prosperity and depression. Drawing on interviews with descendants of prominent community members and on the archives of major Georgetown churches, local historical societies, libraries, and genealogical studies, it contains more than two hundred illustrations, including portraits, sketches, maps, and nineteenth-century and contemporary photographs. Readers of Breena Clarke's novel, River, Cross My Heart, will find more information about the world in which it is set. They can learn about the daily lives of real people living then, often in their own voices, and they will find places familiar from the bestseller, including Poplar Alley, Bell's Court, Mt. Zion Cemetery, and the Francis swimming pool. This journey through two hundred years reveals a compelling and inspiring chapter in the larger story of African-American history.